Pewter City
Pewter City, officially the City and County of Pewter, is the capital and most populous municipality in western Kanto. Pewter is located in the South Slate Valley on the western edge of the Shining Plains just east of the Front Range of the Moon Mountains. The Pewter downtown district is located immediately east of the confluence of Granite Creek with the South Slate River, approximately 12 miles west of the foothills of the Moon Mountains and Route 3. It is the highest major city in Kanto, in terms of elevation. Pewter is ranked as a Beta-class world city by the Globilization and World Cities Research Network. With a 2015 estimated population of more than 680,000, Pewter ranks as the fourth most populous city in Kanto. Geography of Pewter City Pewter is located in the center of the Front Range Urban Corridor, between the Shining Plains to the west and the Moon Mountains to the east. Pewter's topography consists of plains in the city center with hilly areas to the north, west and south. According to the 2010 census, the city has a total area of 155 square miles. Pewter City is surrounded only by two other locales; Stone Town to the south and Rota to the north. Neighborhoods Pewter City has 78 defined neighborhoods that the city and community groups use for planning and administration. Although the city's delineation of the neighborhood boundaries is somewhat arbitrary, it corresponds roughly to the definitions used by residents. These neighborhoods should not be confused with cities or suburbs. The character of the neighborhoods vary slightly from one to another and includes everything from large skyscrapers to houses from the late 19th century to modern, suburban-style developments. Generally, the neighborhoods closer to the city center are denser, older and contain more brick building material. Most neighborhoods contain parks or other features that are the focal point for the neighborhood. Pewter does not have larger areas designations, unlike the City of Saffron, which has larger areas that house the neighborhoods (IE: Northwest Side). Pewter residents use the terms "north", "south", "east" and "west". North Major neighborhoods in North Pewter are: Berkley, Northglenn, Commerce City. West Major neighborhoods in West Pewter are: Wheat Ridge, Lakeside, Mountain View, Edgewater, Lakewood, Moon Ridge. East Major neighborhoods in East Pewter are: Aurora, Holly Hills South Major neighborhoods in South Pewter are: Bow Mar, Littleton, Sheridan, Englewood, Cherry Hills, Greenwood Climate Pewter lies within the semi-arid, continental climate zone. It has four distinct seasons and receives a modest amount of precipitation throughout the year. Due to its inland location on the Shining Plains, at the foot of the Silver and Moon Mountains, it is subject to sudden changes in weather. Pewter can typically count on having about 115 clear days, 130 partly cloudy days and 120 cloudy days each year. July is the warmest month, with a daily average temperature of 74.2 degrees F. Summers range from mild to hot with occasional afternoon thunderstorms and high temperatures reaching 90 degrees F on 38 days annually and occasionally even breaking 100 degrees F. December, the coldest month of the year, has a daily average temperature of 20 degrees F. Winters ranges from mild to bitter cold, consisting of periods of snow and very low temperatures alternating with periods of relatively mild weather. In winter, highs can occasionally break 70 degrees F but the lows can fall to subzero temperatures. Snowfall is common throughout the late fall, winter and early spring, averaging 53.5 inches for the year. The average window for snowfall is October 17 through April 27, although measurable snowfall has fallen in Pewter as early as September 4 and as late as June 3. Economy Pewter's economy is based partially on its geographic position and its connection to some of the major transportation systems of the region. Because Pewter is the largest city in western Kanto, it has become a natural location for storage and distribution of goods and services to western and northern Kanto, as well as some places in eastern Johto. Over the years, the city has been home to other large corporations in Kanto, making Pewter a key trade point. Several well-known companies originated or have relocated in Pewter City. For example, Samsonite Corp, a manufacturer of luggage, is based in Pewter, as well as the KantoMedia news conglomerate, the Mountain Telephone & Telegraph Company, Russel Stover Chocolates, Michael Binienda Brewing Company, who produces Binienda's Beer, and others find their homes here. Geography also allows Pewter to have a considerable government presence, with many federal agencies based or having offices in the Pewter area. The Pewter City area is home to the Pewter Federal Center, the Kanto Stone Courthouse, the Pewter Mint and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. In 2005, a $310.7 million expansion for the Pewter City Convention Center was completed, doubling its size. The hope was that the center's expansion would elevate the city to one of the top cities in Kanto for holding a convention. Peweter's position near the mineral-rich Moon Mountains encouraged mining and energy companies to spring up in the area. In the early days of the city, gold and silver booms and busts played a large role in the economic success of the city. Pewter has also enjoyed success as a pioneer of the fast-casual restaurant industry, with many popular national chain restaurants founded and based in Pewter City. Chipotle Grill, Quizno's, Qdoba, Noodles & Company and Good Times Burgers originated in Pewter City. In 2015, Pewter ranked #1 on Forbes' list of the Best Places for Businesses and Career in Johto and Kanto. Culture and Contemporary Life Luna Hall opened quickly after the city's founding and staged many plays for eager settlers. The Pewter Opera House was built in 1876. After the start of the 20th century, and with the city's newfound place in the spotlight thanks to one of the original Kanto Gyms being founded there, city leaders embarked on a city beautification program that created many of the city's parks, parkways, museums and the Municipal Auditorium, which was home to the 1908 Pokemon League Convention and is now known as the Ellie Faulk Opera House. Pewter continues to support cultures. In 1988, votes in the Pewter city area approved the Scientific and Cultural Facilities Tax, a 1 cent sales tax that contributes money to various cultural and scientific facilities and organizations throughout Pewter County. Pewter City is home to many nationally recognized museums, including a new wing for the Pewter Art Museum, the second largest performing arts center in Kanto and bustling neighborhoods such as LoDo, filled with art galleries, restaurants, clubs and bars. That is part of why Pewter was recently recognized for the third year in a row as the best city in Kanto & Johto for singles. The Pewter Museum of Nature and Science currently holds a prehistoric Pokemon exhibit, with certain fossil specimens valued at over $1 million. Every September, the museum holds a mineral show. It features hands-on and interactive exhibits, artifacts and programs about Kanto history. It was named in 2013 by True Kanto Magazine as the top "must-see" history museum in Kanto & Johto. Pewter has numerous art districts around the city. While it may not be as recognized for historical musical prominence as some other Kanto cities, it still manages to have a very active pop, jazz, jam, folk and classical music scene, which have nurtured several artists and genres to regional and even international attention. Of particular note is Pewter's importance to the folk scene of the 1960s and 1970s. Well-known folk artists such as Bob Dylan, Judy Collins and John Denver lived in Pewter at various points during this time and performed at various local clubs. Because of its proximity to the mountains and generally sunny weather, Pewter has gained a reputation as being a very active, outdoor-oriented city. Many Pewter residents spend the weekends in the mountains, skiing in the winter and hiking and camping in the summer. Pewter is also home to a large number of local and national breweries. Many restaurants in the city have on-site breweries and some of the larger breweries offer tours, including Binienda's. The city also welcomes visitors from around the world when it hosts the annual Great Kanto Beer Festival each fall. It is also known for its dedication to the chile. It is best known for its green and red chile sauce, the Pewter Burrito, Western Omelette (called a Pewter Omelette elsewhere), breakfast burritos, chiles rellenos and tamales. Pewter is also known for other types of food, such as Mountain Oysters, rainbow trout and the Pewter Sandwich (a Pewter Omelette sandwiched between two pieces of bread). Pewter is also famous for the Moon Festival, which occurs on the first week of July. Sports Pewter is home to a variety of sports teams, and human-based sports are extremely popular in the city. * The Pewter Rhydons: NFL Team (Moon Stadium) * The Pewter Golems: NBL Team (Binienda Field) * The Pewter Moon-Clefables: '''NBA Team (Slate Center) * '''The Pewter City Rumble-Onix: '''NHL Team (Slate Center) '''Parks and Recreation As of 2006, Pewter City has over 200 parks, from small mini-parks all over the city to the giant, 314 acre Boulder City Park, where the Moon Festival is held every July. Pewter City also has 29 recreation centers providing places and programming for resident's recreation and relaxation. Government Pewter City is a consolidated city-county with a mayor elected on a nonpartisan ballot, a 13-member city council and an auditor. The Pewter City Council is elected from 11 districts with two at-large council members and is responsible for passing and changing all laws, resolutions and ordinances, usually after a public hearing, and can also call for misconduct investigations of Pewter's other departmental officials. All elected officials have four-year terms with a maximum of three terms. Education Pewter Public Schools (PPS) is the public school system in Pewter City. It currently educates about 73,000 students in 73 elementary school, 15 K-8 schools, 17 middle schools, 14 Secondary Schools and 19 Charter Schools. Pewter's many colleges and universities range in age and study programs. Major public colleges include the University of Kanto Pewter (UKP, or yoo-kip, to locals), Metropolitan University of Pewter and the Boulder Community College. The private University of Pewter was the first institution of higher learning in the city and was founded in 1850. Media The Pewter Metropolitan Area is served by a variety of media outlets in print, radio, television and the Internet. Television Stations Pewter is the 3rd-largest market in the country for television and 8th in the Kanto-Johto International market. There are sixteen local stations and cable television broadcast centers in the city. Radio Stations Pewter is also served by over 40 AM and FM radio stations, covering a wide variety of formats and styles. Pewter-Boulder radio is the no. 4 market in Kanto. Print After a heated rivalry between Pewter's two main newspapers resulted in a huge street-Pokemon brawl, the Pewter Post and Moon Mountain News, the papers merged operations in 2001 under a Join Operating Agreement which formed the Pewter Newspaper Agency. Pewter is also home to multiple local magazines. Transportation Streets Pewter City has a straightforward street grid system oriented to the four cardinal directions. Streets running north-south are referred to as Streets and streets running east-west are referred to as Avenues. Cycling The League of Kanto Bicyclists has rated Pewter City as the third most bicycle-friendly state in the nation for the year 2014. Most Pewter Streets have bicycle lanes and there are over 850 miles of paved, off-road bike paths in Pewter City and along bodies of water. In addition the many bike paths, Pewter launched the B-Cycle network--a city-wide, bicycle sharing program--in late April of 2010. The system boasts 400 bicycles, and there are dozens of systems around the city, most found within and near the downtown center. Walkability Pewter City is ranked the second most-walkable major city in Kanto. Except when there's traffic. Mass Transportation Mass transportation throughout the Pewter metropolitan area is managed and coordinated by the Regional Transportation District (RTD). RTD currently operates more than 1,000 buses serving over 10,000 bus stops. Additionally, the RTD operates seven Rail Lines: the A, C, D, E, F, W and H with a total of 60 miles of track, serving 44 stations. All lines are light rail except the A, a commuter rail line. They serve downtown and suburban areas. Boulder Gym The Boulder Gym is the official gym of Pewter City. Its official type is Rock-type Pokemon. The Boulder Gym is unique among many Kanto gyms, as the Trainer House facilities eschew modern techniques and technology in favor of ancient, traditional methods of exercise: punching bags, lifting bags of rocks, hauling tires, breaking or cutting tree logs, swimming, rock climbimg, etc. They also have a Rock Garden, specifically for psychic-type Pokemon to train, though anybody can come in and use it. The Boulder Gym is a Rank 1 gym, so trainers with 0-3 badges may compete for the Boulder Badge. Before facing the gym leader, challengers must defeat one of the in-house employees to a 2-on-2 battle called a Proving, a holdover from the first, ancient traditions of Pokemon combat. The current gym leader, Brock Harrison, has taken a temporary leave of absence, leaving his father Flint Harrison as the interim gym leader in his absence. Trivia * Pewter City's sister city is Rustoboro City in Hoenn.